Dead end for cables



Sept. 4, 1956 Original F iled Sept. 20, 1946 T. F. PETERSON DEAD END FORCABLES 6 Sheets-Sheet l Y INVENTOR. Z/zomwli/ ezeraoiz, BY

Sept. 4, 1956 PETERSON 2,761,273

DEAD END FOR CABLES Original Filed Sept..20, 1946 INVENTOR. 7&0/7'2425 Ifkzerao/z,

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DEAD END FOR CABLES Original Filed Sept. 20, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. 77zoi7zasfjezeraorz T. F. PETERSON Sept. 4, 1956 OriginalFiled Sept. 20, 1946 IN V EN TOR. v Wzomwifdemorz,

Sept. 4, 1956 T. F. PETERSON 2,761,273 DEAD END FOR CABLES OriginalFiled Sept. 20, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

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DEAD END FOR CABLES Original Filed Sept. 20, 1946 s Shee LS-Sheet 6 IN VEN TOR. iz omifieamom, Mi 9 aux 67mm V w DEAD END FOR CABLES Thomas F.Peterson, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to Preformed Line ProductsCompany, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 2,1955, Serial No. 550,580 20 Claims. (Cl. 57-145) This invention is adivision of the subject-matter disclosed in my copending applicationSerial No. 698,312 field September 20, 1946, for Helically-PreformedWire Envelope and Methods of Use. Like that application, the presentinvention stems from those disclosed in my prior Patents Nos. 2,275,019and 2,587,521.

It is the object of the invention to apply helically-preformed elementsin the formation of dead-ends and guy grips on wires, strands, cables,and rods, or to any other elongated body to which the teachings hereofare applicable.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are fragmentary side and end views, respectively, of ahelically-preformed element, typical of those applied to the uses andpurposes of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a tubular body, shown in side elevation, composed of theelements of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a dead-end formed on an elongatedbody by'the use of a preformed element similar to that shown in thepreceding figures.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 of a dead-end formed on anelongated body employing a plurality of preformed elements similar tothat shown in the preceding figures.

Figure 6 is a dead-end formed on an elengated body similar to thatillustrated in Figure 5, in which the body is not within the bight ofthe helical elements, but terminates adjacent the root of the bight.

Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, are side elevational views illustratingmethods of forming dead-ends in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 10 illustrates a modified manner for associatinghelically-preformed elements as a special precaution against unravelingwhenformedas a dead-end.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevational view of a deadend made inaccordance with the present invention modified to augment its grippingpower.

Figure 12 illustrates the application of the half-lay ofhelically-preformed elements to theend of an elongated body by wrappingthe two legs thereof, similar to those shown in Figure 9, into coaxialrelation therewith.

Figure 13 shows a completed application similar to that of Figure 12,and further showing the inclusion of a filler element in the bight asshown in Figure 9.

Figures 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views, respectively, taken alonglines 1414 and 1515 of Figure 13, which sections are represented asbeing a half a pitch length (or an oddmultiple of half-pitch lengths)apart.

Figure 16 shows the formation of a dead-end following either of thetechniques described in connection with Figures 7' and 8.

Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of a in association with anelongated body illustrating a modification of the invention.

Figure 18' is a schematic perspective view of helicallypreformedelements applied. as a dead-end to an elon-- dead-end .tion of thehalf-lay which gated body or core, and showing a projection of thecentral axis of certain elements bearing angular relationship to eachother around the body through the configuration of the bight indicatedin broken lines.

Figure 19 is a composite view corresponding to Fighalf-lay intertwistedin the midconstitute a whole bight portion ure 7, showing a short dle ofa long half-lay to therein.

Figure 20 is a View corresponding to Figure 16 of a dead-end made inaccordance with the procedures of Figure 19, but with the cable ofassociation not extended into the bight portion.

The helically-preformed elements applied to the formation of dead-endsas herein described are of sufiicient strength and rigidity to grip anelongated body to be dead-ended and to hold under tensile load up to thebreaking strength of the latter withoutslippage. To accomplish this, theelements are preformed to an internal helical diameter somewhat lessthan the outside diameter of the elongated body to be dead-ended and toa sufliciently open lay to permit wrapping one or more of the elementsaround such body from its side without exceeding the elastic limit ofthe material of which, such elements are made.

As is disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,587,521, with which the parentapplicationof the present divisional case was .copending, and as isinherent in the half-lay constructions and tubular bodies made fromhelicallypreformed elements shown and described in said parentapplication, the helically-preformed elements are bent to form a bightor hearing eye intermediate their length, having helical legs extendingtherefrom which are wrapped coaxially about the elongated body to bedead-ended, so that the helix of each leg is in substantially balanced(180 phase) relationship with the helix of the other when disposedcoaxially about the body to be deadended. Thus, the two legs of a singlepreformed eledisposed in inter-association therewith, assume amutually-:-

around the axis of said body to sustain and support the lattersubstantially.

conforming, self-balancing relation without deflection.

In Figure 4 there is illustrated one manner of em- 1 Secure a bightploying a helically-preformed element 1 to in the end of a cable orstrand after the manner of providing dead-ends therefor. upon the end ofa cable C so that half of its extent is secured to the cable and itsremaining half extends be yond the end thereof. Then, with the cablebent back upon itself to form bight B, the element 1 is wrapped aboutthe cable contiguously with its starting end, thus to secure the bightin position.

In Figure 5 a sufiicient number of elements 1 have been providedcompletely to enclose the cable as at 10, while the bight portionthereof is engaged by a halflay 5 of such elements.

ment 1 in Figure 4, so that when it is returned upon itself the two legsof the half-lay 5 are intertwistedabout' the cable to provide a closedlay 10,-as shown in this formed elements is disposed'around the cable10'for approximately one-third to one-half of its length, with thebeyond the cable. That potis to form the bight may be remaining portionextending Patented Sept. 4, 1956 The element 1 is disposed In practice,a half-lay would be installed upon the cable C after the manner ofelethat shown in Figof the helicallypre pretwisted to form a closed lay5 for an extent of its length equal to the extent of the bight. Thereturned halflay may then be intertwisted with itself about the cable Cto provide the whole-lay 10, as shown.

Further modifications are illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, in which twohalf-lays 5a and 5b are overlapped and iiitertwisted to provide-a closedlay 10. The two halt-lays 5a and 5b, are then bent downwardly so as todispose thewhole-lay 10 as a bight between them. This disposition isillustrated'in Figure 8. The two lays 5a and 5b may then be intertwistedfrom the bight portion to the limit of their coextensiveness to providea whole-lay dead-end throughout the entire construction. A cable orotherline to be dead-ended may be disposed in the arrangements ofFigures 7 and 8, in the same manner as that shown in Figure 16.

A-modification of this arrangement is shown in Figures 19,-and 20, inwhich a single half-way 5a of sufiicient length to constitute a dead-endwhen bent in the middle, is provided with a short half-way section 5s,which is intertwisted intermediate the length of the long half-way toconstitute a whole-lay bight portion when bent. The procedure similar tothat of Figures 7 and 8 is then followed to form a dead-end with awhole-lay bight portion B, Figure 20, with two half-lay legs extendingtherefrom, whichare intertwisted arounda core C, to form a whole-laygripping portion 10 around the core which extends therein to a point oftermination C. Alternatively, the cable may project through the bightportion. so as to terminate at- C, as shown in Figure 16.

In Figure 9 another manner of treating a half-lay deadend is illustratedby the use of a half-lay 5, which may be predisposed about a cable in amanner similar to that already described inconnection with Figure 6.However, instead of twisting the half-lay into a reduced whole-lay 5',as in the latter figure, a filler F of cable, of marline, hemp, ,orother line, may be employed within the bight portion which closes thehalf-lay and imparts flexibility and support at the bight. tion willappear as in Figure 13.

In order to prevent the end of the cable, as shown in Figure 6, fromsplitting the whole-lay 10 by accidentally or otherwise being pulleddown between the union of the legs of the bight, a different manner ofassociating the elements of the half-lays may be used, as is illustratedin Figure 10. It will be recognized that a cable disposed as in Figure 6could effect the dissociation of the half-lays where they are arrangedas in Figure 9 to form the whole: lay 10, especially if the twohalf-lays when intertwisted to form a whole-lay present wide gapsbetween any of the elements. However, if, instead of taking the strandsof the half-lay in a contiguous group, as shown in Figure 9, they are sospaced that the elements which constitute the half-lay of the bight canbe intertwisted alternately among the two legs, then a half-lay may beprovided which .is not subject to splitting as mentioned above. Thus, inFigure l'two-half-lay legs a and Sb-have been'depicted, it being assumedthat each extends from its respective side of the bight portion similarto that shown in Figure 5 or Figure 8. As arranged in'this figure,element in of the leg 511 would lie between the element land the element117 of the leg 5b, thus to occupy the vacant lay a. Similarly, element1b of the leg 517 would occupy the vacant lay b in the leg 5a,'whichoccurs between the elements 1a and 1c.- Similarly, 1c of leg 5a wouldlie in the vacant lay c of leg 5b. Lay 1d of leg 5b would occupy lay dof leg 5a, and so on until each of the elements is accommodated and awhole-lay similar to any illustrated in these views and marked by thenumeral is provided. A cross section of this construction, as applied toa cable, appears'in Fig-1 abrasive,1suchj;as aluminum oxide,carborundum, etc.,

USUEHY'IH'B-Sllitfiblfi liquid vehicle, may be applied be-,

As completed, this modificatween the envelope and the underlying body.Another means for effecting this result is illustrated in Figure 11,where a dead-end has been shown. The envelope 10 is crimped, as at 11,to increase the modulus of friction upon the cable C. This may be doneafter installation by a suitable tool, in which case the cable, as wellas the envelope, will be off-set, or it may be accomplished by pre'forming the off-set in the helices during manufacture or beforeinstalling them, so that when applied to the cable, the latter is madeto conform, or to tend to conform, to the offset portion. Considerableadded resistance to axial displacement is thus realized.

Furthermore, the cross-sectional configuration of the elements is notessential, although it is less obvious that round sections will serve inthe manner described, and since these are usually the most readilyavailable and economic to produce, it is expected that they will havethe widest application.

In Figure 12 there is shown a half-lay 5 formed into a bight portion B,from which legs 5a and 5b depend for mutually wrapping around a core orconductor C, which extends within the whole-lay thus formed for adistance C short of the bight. The completed form of dead-end is shownin Figure 13, except that here the hollow halflay of the bight portion Bis filled with a filler F, as is shown in Figure 9. In either of theseembodiments, the half-lays 5a and 5b substantially surround theconductor in balanced relation with respect to each other, and in theirrespective groups are in relationship with respect to each other. Sincean odd number of elements is shown to comprise the half-lay 5, only thecentral element 1m is projected around the bight to the opposite side ofthe core C in 180 relationship to itself, as is schematically depictedin the projectionof Figure 18. In this latter figure, opposite elements1m are shown, in which the longitudinal axis x thereof is shownprojected through the bight portion B, outlined in dotted lines,returning to the 180 position on the other side of the core. These arethe only two elements that will be in 180 relationship in this grouping.The remainder, however, will be mutually balancing.

In Figure 16 there is disclosed a completed dead-end made in accordancewith the procedures previously referred to in conjunction with Figures 7and 8. In this instance, the two legs 5a and 5b are intertwisted arounda conductor C to be dead-ended, to constitute a whole-lay portion 10around the latter, which extends therein for some distance C, where itterminates within the bight portion B. Alternatively, as shown in Figure20, the conductor Cmay terminate short of the bight at a point oftermination .C.

Figure 17 illustrates a plurality of helically-preformed elements 1.1grouped in balanced relation around a core member .C after the manner ofthe legs 5a and 5b depicted in Figure 10. In this case the 180relationship does not maintain either collectively in half-way groups oras to the. individual elements, but these latter are .neverthelessbalanced in offsetting relationwith respect to each other to precludedeflection of the core C throughout their coextensiveness.

With due consideration being given the degree of rigidity required whichwill vary among the several uses, the helically-preformed elements maybe composed of any suitable material, whether metal, plastic, orotherwise, which best. suits it to its intended use.v

I claim:

1. A hollow body comprised of helically-preformed elements formed to acommon pitch and internal diameter, saidbody beingformed of a half-layof ,saidelements, said half-lay being bent back upon itself to definetwo halflay legs, said half-laylegs being twisted together to form awhole lay.

2. A hollow body comprised of helically-preformed elementsformed to acommon pitchand'internal diameter, said'body being formed of a half-layof said elements,

said half-lay being bent back upon itself to define two half-lay legsand a bight, said half-lay legs being intertwisted to form a whole lay,and the elements of said bight being further twisted to define a closedlay from said half-lay portion.

3. A dead-end for cables and the like, comprising a plurality of helicalelements preformed to an internal diameter approximately equal to theexternal diameter of the cable of application, a half-lay of saidelements being applied around the cable tightly to grip the latter sothat a portion of said half-lay engages the cable and another portion isfree therefrom during application, said free portion being doubled backupon itself and upon said cable and being intertwisted with itself aboutsaid cable so as completely to enclose the latter while providing abight portion thereon which defines a dead-end.

4. A cable dead-end or the like, which comprises a cable having an endportion curved back upon itself to define a bight, a half-lay of helicalelements, preformed to an internal diameter and pitch of a size tightlyto grip the cable when applied thereto without exceeding their elasticlimit, wrapped around said cable in coaxial relation thereto, andextending around the bight portion thereof back to the cable, and beingintertwisted with itself completely to enclose said cable from saidbight for a distance along the length of said cable.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a tubular body comprised of ahalf-lay of helically-preformed elements doubled back upon itself, andintertwisted to form a whole lay terminating in a bight portion.

6. The method of forming an elongated body having a bight integrallyfashioned thereon, which comprises forming a half-lay ofhelically-preformed elements, bending the half-lay back upon itself todefine a bight and two half-lay legs, and intertwisting said legs toprovide a whole-lay body upon said bight.

7. A method of dead-ending cables, which comprises embracing such acable with a half-lay of tightly-gripping helically-preformed elementsso that part of the half-lay engages the cable, and part extends freetherefrom, bending the free part to form a bight, and then intertwistingthe free part with the engaged part to enclose the cable.

8. A dead-end comprising an elongated body to be dead-ended, ahelically-preformed element of constant open pitch throughout its lengthand of an internal helical diameter less than the outside diameter ofsaid body, said element being bent adjacent its middle to define a bighthaving legs projecting therefrom, said legs each being wrapped aroundsaid body so that the helical axis of each is coincident with thelongitudinal axis of said body and so that the helix of one leg is insubstantially 180 phase relationship with the helix of the other withrespect to said body throughout their coextensiveness along the latter.

9. The invention of claim 8, in which another preformed helix ofessentially identical helical characteristics as said element isdisposed coaxially therewith around said body between the legs of saidelement.

10. The invention of claim 9, further characterized by a plurality ofhelices between said legs in symmetrical, mutually balancedrelationship.

11. The invention of claim 8, said dead-end being composed of aplurality of said elements of identical helical characteristics inmutually conforming, coaxial relation around said body, and mutuallybalanced with respect thereto.

12. A structure comprising two elongated portions whose length greatlyexceeds their respective major transverse dimension, said portions eachbeing preformed into helices of identical pitch angle and hand of lay,said helices having a pitch length several times greater than theirinternal helical diameter, said portions being connected together inspaced relation and held relative to each other so that when they areintertwisted to dispose their helices in coaxial relation, the pitchesthereof are in 180 phase with respect to each other, said portions beingintertwisted together in this manner.

13. A gripping device for a linear body, consisting of more than twopreformed helical elements formed to a constant open pitch and to aninternal helical diameter less than the outside diameter of such bodyfor application to the body from its side in gripping relationtherewith, said elements being in balanced peripheral distributionaround the body and projecting from an end thereof, and means forholding a plurality of the projected ends of said elements together,said projected ends and said means cooperating to define a bearing eyeportion for attachment to an external object to be engaged.

14. A gripping device comprising a plurality of helices mutuallyconforming as to hand of lay, internal helical diameter, and pitchlength, the latter two dimensions being such as to admit of Wrapping thehelices around a linear body from a side of the body into tightlygripping, encircling relation therewith, said helices being intertwisted into association coaxially with each other, and, as associated,defining a relatively straight linear body gripping portion and a curvedbight portion at one end of said gripping portion.

15. The method of forming a gripping device which includes grouping aplurality of helically-preformed, mutually-conforming elements having aninternal helical diameter of a size tightly to grip a core element whenwrapped around the latter in encircling engagement, bending saidelements adjacent their middle to form a bight portion having helicallegs depending therefrom, and wrapping said legs around the core ingripping relation therewith.

16. The invention of claim 14, in which said helices are arranged in twohalf-lays, said half-lays being partially overlapped and intertwistedinto a first coaxial association throughout their overlapped extent toconstitute a whole lay in said curved bight portion, said bight portionhaving two half-lay portions extending therefrom, said half-lay portionsbeing intertwisted to form a second coaxial association of said helicesin the constitution of said relatively straight linear body grippingportion.

17. The invention of claim 14, in which said helices are arranged in twohalf-lays, one half-lay being shorter in extent than the other, saidhalf-lays being intertwisted into a first coaxial association in whichthe shorter halflay is incorporated intermediate the ends of the longerhalf-lay to constitute a whole lay in said curved bight portion havingtwo half-lay portions extending therefrom, said half-lay portions beingintertwisted to form a second coaxial association of said helices in theconstitution of said relatively straight linear body gripping portion.

18. The invention of claim 14, in combination with a cable, in whichsaid helices are arranged in two half-lays, one of said half-lays beingdisposed about the cable adjacent its end, the other of said half-laysbeing partially intertwisted with said first half-lay in coaxialrelation about the cable to constitute a whole-lay in said curved bightportion with the remaining part of said second half-lay extended intocontiguity with said first half-lay upon the cable, said half-lays beingintertwisted about the cable to form a coaxial whole-lay in theconstitution of said relatively straight linear body gripping portion.

19. The invention of claim 14, in which said helices are arranged in ahalf-lay bent adjacent its middle, to define said curved bight portionhaving half-lay legs extending therefrom, said half-lay legs beingintertwisted to define said relatively straight linear body grippingportion, in combination, a cable disposed within said linear bodygripping portion, and a short length of a filler body disposed withinsaid half-lay at said curved bight portion at least partially to supportand fill said half-lay therein.

20. The method of claim 15, in which the grouping of said elementsincludes first arranging them into two 8 half-lays, intertwisting saidhalf-lays for a portion of References Cited in the file of this patenttheir extends at said bight portion before bending of the UNITED STATESPATENTS latter, finally bending said half-lays to define said bight 337513 Moxham Mar 9 1886 t J por 10n and said dependent helical legs, andthen inter 2,275,019 Peterson Mar- 1942 twisting said legs whilesimultaneously Wrapping them 5 around said core.

